What Transkribus is built for
Transkribus is a handwritten text recognition platform for historical documents. Its plans page lists Kurrent, Sütterlin, old German script, cursive handwriting and council minutes among its use cases, with samples such as a letter from Vienna in 1847 and a parish record from 1783[1]. It names archives, universities, museums and research groups as its users, and says over 500,000 people use it[1].
That makes it the specialist tool for old scripts and large archives. If your documents are in Kurrent or Sütterlin, Transkribus is where to start.
How Transkribus pricing works
- Free
- 50 credits a month, which Transkribus says is enough for around 50 pages[1]
- Scholar
- 99 euros a year for 900 credits[1]
- Top-up
- 250 credits for 59.50 euros[1]
- Organisations
- 75,000 credits a year or more, priced on request[1]
- Handwritten text recognition
- 1 credit per page[1]
- Exports
- Basic formats on Free, all formats on paid plans[1]
Paid prices include Austrian VAT of 20%[1]. Table and field recognition and line detection use credits too[1], so a page with a table costs more than its text alone.
Transkribus and LoreAI side by side
| What you need | Transkribus | LoreAI |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Historical documents, archives and research groups[1] | Modern letters, notes, diaries and forms |
| Scripts | Lists Kurrent, Sütterlin and old German script[1] | Print and cursive in the Latin alphabet |
| Free use | 50 credits a month, about 50 pages[1] | 1 page a day with no account, 10 with a free account, and a first app document of 3 pages |
| Paid plans | Scholar at 99 euros a year for 900 credits[1] | Basic $12.99 a month for 200 pages |
| What you download | Basic formats on Free, all formats on paid plans[1] | Typed text, .txt or a Word file with lists and tables |
| Translation | Not listed on its plans page | Into 105 languages, returned as an editable Word file |
| Getting started | An account, credits and a recognition model | Upload a photo, no account for the free tool |
When LoreAI is the better fit
- Letters and diaries from the last century. A grandparent's letters in English, Spanish, Italian or French cursive come back typed out, paragraph by paragraph.
- You need them in another language. LoreAI reads the handwriting and translates it into one of 105 languages in the same step, so a letter in Italian comes back as an English Word file.
- A few documents, not an archive. No credits, models or projects to set up. Photograph the page and upload it.
- Forms and records with tables. Printed labels and handwritten entries come back together, and a register's grid becomes a Word table.
How to type out a handwritten letter with LoreAI
- Photograph each page flat and upright in daylight, or scan the letter to a PDF.
- For one page, upload it to the free handwriting to text tool and copy the text or download Word.
- For a letter of several pages, or to translate it, upload the PDF to the LoreAI app and choose OCR or OCR + Translate.
- Download the Word file. Names, dates and places stay exactly as written, and non-Latin names are romanized.
Your first document in the app is free, up to 3 pages and 3 MB. The cursive to text page has tips for photographing old paper and faded ink.
When to stay with Transkribus
Stay with Transkribus for Kurrent and Sütterlin, and for archive projects of thousands of pages, which its Organisations plan of 75,000 credits a year or more is built for[1]. Use LoreAI for the modern handwriting in your family papers and paperwork, and for anything you want back in Word or in another language.
Questions people ask
Is Transkribus free?
Transkribus has a free plan with 50 credits a month, about 50 pages of handwritten text recognition[1].
What is a simpler alternative to Transkribus?
For modern handwriting in the Latin alphabet, LoreAI needs no credits or models. Upload a photo and download text or Word, free for 1 page a day with no account.
Can LoreAI translate a handwritten letter?
Yes. The LoreAI app reads the handwriting and translates it into one of 105 languages, returned as one editable Word file.
Which tool should I use for Sütterlin?
Transkribus lists Sütterlin and Kurrent among its use cases[1], so use Transkribus for those scripts.
Sources
- Transkribus: Plans and pricing, accessed November 5, 2026
By Matt Mountain ·